


down at sunset drive where roses bloom

by Anonymous



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Aromantic Character, Eventual Smut, Hanahaki Disease, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:13:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24808318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Chanyeol wanted to know if the house down at Sunset Drive was truly haunted, just as Sehun said.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29
Collections: Anonymous





	down at sunset drive where roses bloom

**Sunset Drive**

They said that the house that sat at the very end of Sunset Drive – the very one that harbored fresh flowers all-year-round, situated in a cul-de-sac – was haunted. When Chanyeol had heard of it from one of his friends, he laughed. How could a little cute house filled with roses be haunted? That was absurd.

In reality, the house was not too small, but it was not too big either. It was one that could fit three people at most. It had a home-y feel to it if you look as an outsider – cream-colored walls, and a roof painted red. The windows were always kept closed, yet the curtains were always drawn to let the light in.

“It’s really haunted,” Sehun said, pocketing his phone after he showed them the photo of the house he took just a few months ago. “It’s just a few streets away from ours – the one after this next one,” he added, pointing to the street that was after Birch Street – Sehun’s house’s street.

They were out drinking in his backyard with a few pizza boxes strewn open on the table, most of them empty.

“How is that even possible?” Chanyeol shook his head in disagreement as he poured himself another shot glass of colorless alcohol. “It pretty much looks like any other house here.”

“Dude, I’m not joking. It’s _haunted_.”

“Sehun, I think you’ve been watching too many horror movies lately,” Junmyeon butted in, gulping down the last few drops of his drink.

“If you don’t believe me, then fine! Just—be careful when you go around there. And if something happens to you, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Chanyeol really thought Sehun was worrying for nothing. Not all houses at the end of the road were bad. Chanyeol could attest to it, because they used to live in one. Long ago before they moved to this neighborhood – _Bayview._

Though, it did pique Chanyeol’s interest. He had never really personally gone to that house. He never had the reason to. And besides, his house was a few streets away. Really, there was no reason for him to go.

“Why did you even think that the house is haunted, Sehun?”

Sehun scrunched his nose in distaste before answering Jongin. “It just is. Don’t you guys feel it?”

“Nope,” Jongin replied. “It’s just a house. An old woman probably lives there. No harm.”

“That’s because you haven’t seen it personally.”

“And you have?” Junmyeon asked. “Isn’t your house, like, far from it?”

“My aunt’s place is just a few houses before it. I was curious when I first heard of it.”

“That’s dumb.” Chanyeol straightened in his seat, reaching for the last pizza slice on the plastic table they had set up. “You’re just saying this to scare us.”

“Like I said, it’s up to you if you believe me or not.” Sehun shrugged, his head lolling to the side as he leaned back on his chair.

“I think Sehun’s just drunk,” Jongin said with a light chuckle, to which Junmyeon and Chanyeol also laughed. Sehun did tend to say weird things when he was drunk.

Junmyeon stood up, dusting his pants off of crumbs that fell on it. “Why don’t we all head back inside? It’s getting chilly out here. Jongin, help me with Sehun. Chanyeol, can you fix it out here?”

“Sure, no problem,” Chanyeol replied, starting to pick up the bottles of alcohol, placing them beside the pots of plants by the door. They would have to fix them up when the sun was up, and Chanyeol was tipsy and too sleepy to even function right.

That night, he found himself falling; his back hitting the soft mattress in Sehun’s room. He let out a satisfied sigh. Chanyeol rolled over to the side, almost elbowing Junmyeon’s face but fortunately missing it by an inch.

Chanyeol could not sleep. He was tired, his eyes were begging to close, but his mind was reeling.

The house… he wanted to know more about it. He wanted to know about the people who lived in it – if there was any.

“Hey, Junmyeon,” he murmured, testing to see if his friend was still awake.

“What, Chanyeol?” came the slurred reply.

“Do you think it’ll be safe to check on the house tomorrow?”

“What—What house?”

“The house that Sehun was talking about earlier.”

“I don’t know… Up to you, anyways.”

Chanyeol sighed. “Alright. Thanks.”

—

Chanyeol found himself at Sunset Drive early in the morning, trudging down the street in his sweats and slip-ons. He must have looked like a complete wreck – with his hair sticking out from everywhere and his clothes wrinkled. He was glad, though, that there weren’t many people around to see him. Only a few who passed him by, jogging with their earphones on.

Like any part of their big neighborhood, Sunset Drive was peaceful. This was one of the reasons why Chanyeol had grown to love the place almost immediately when he had first stepped foot in it. Not like where he used to live, the place was not congested. The houses were near each other, but not to the point that there was barely any space for anyone to pass through. It was spacious enough to even grow gardens and have backyards. Chanyeol loved it.

He reached the said house a few moments later, pausing right in front of the mailbox. As Sehun had shown on his phone, the house looked exactly the same: a lawn with a large patch filled with bright roses by the side, a cream-colored house, and a dark red roof. He really could not see anything _haunting_ about the place. _Maybe Sehun was really just fucking around._

Taking a few steps forward, Chanyeol found himself touching the wooden fence. It looked like it was newly-painted.

“Who are you?”

Chanyeol’s head shot up at the voice and he came to see a man walking down the steps of his house. Once he was near him, Chanyeol noticed that the man was not taller than he was – just right above his chin. He had striking blond hair, pale skin, and pink lips.

It was no surprise that Chanyeol was almost immediately attracted to him. Well, almost. He didn’t want to seem like a complete weirdo to crush on a man he barely even knew (Though, at the far back of his mind, Chanyeol _knew_ he had a crush on him. He wouldn’t dare admit it. For now, at least).

“I’m Chanyeol,” he said, offering him a hand. “I’m from Honeydew Lane.”

“Honeydew?” the man asked, eyebrows raised. He showed no signs of taking Chanyeol’s hand for a shake, and Chanyeol understood. It was strange for someone to come early in the morning, only to make friends. They weren’t even neighbors.

“Yes, I just—” _Think, Chanyeol. Think._ “I happened to pass by.” _Well, that was shitty._

“You came a long way, then.” Warily, the man took his hand. Chanyeol brought his eyes down to look at the soft, lithe hand coming in contact with his – a stark contrast to his large, calloused hand. “Baekhyun.”

“Oh, I was just—I slept over at my friend’s house down at Birch Street, yeah,” he spluttered, even without Baekhyun asking. He definitely had the worst first impression on him now. “And I was walking around and I saw your roses…”

“You like them?”

“They’re very pretty.”

A proud hum resonated from Baekhyun’s closed lips. “I planted these myself.”

“You must have a green thumb.”

“That, I do.”

The light gust of the wind was enough to tousle Baekhyun’s hair. A few locks of blond hair covered his eyes, and Baekhyun immediately pushed them away, irritated. Chanyeol chuckled.

“What’s so funny, stranger?” The tone in Baekhyun’s voice was not angry – it was playful, even. Chanyeol took the hint to ride on his tease.

“Nothing, just you.”

“Oh, you think I’m funny?” Baekhyun asked, an eyebrow raised elegantly.

Chanyeol flashed him a cheeky smile. “Yes.”

“I _do_ get that quite a lot. Must be a charm of mine.” A slight pause, and then, “Oh. This is rude of me. Do you want to come inside? I have tea.”

Chanyeol didn’t like tea. He hated it with a burning passion. Yet, he found himself nodding. What the reason was, he didn’t know. Maybe it was the tea – he had wanted to try. Or maybe, it was Baekhyun. He was really confused, but he thought that it was nothing to worry about for now. “Sure.”

Baekhyun opened the small gate. It let out a small creak at the hinges, something that irked Baekhyun’s ears as he visibly winced. He locked it again once Chanyeol had stepped foot inside and later on, led him inside the house.

“This isn’t creepy at all,” Chanyeol blurted out, walking behind him.

“Excuse me?”

_Fuck._ “I mean…” Goddamn his rotten mouth. “Well, you see, there are… stories? I don’t know. Rumors, maybe. About this house.”

“Ah,” Baekhyun let out, a small smirk on his lips that went unnoticed by Chanyeol. “I wonder where they got the stories from.”

“Right?” Chanyeol laughed. Really, there was nothing to be afraid of.

Baekhyun’s home was not exactly how Chanyeol pictured it to be – cute, home-y, and organized. It was the exact opposite of that, if he were being honest. Compared to the house’s exterior, the inside was far more modern – even compared to Chanyeol’s house. The walls were painted white, with the floorboards made out of high-quality wood. All of the things inside looked brand new, nothing you would expect from just looking outside.

The sweet smell of honey wafted to his nose. He glanced to his right and found picture frames hung on the wall that led up to the second floor hallway – probably towards the bedrooms. To his left, there was a short hallway. He followed Baekhyun there, arriving at the living room.

“Make yourself at home. I’ll get you some tea,” Baekhyun said, picking up the used plate that was on top of the coffee table. It was probably what he was busying himself with before he noticed Chanyeol by the fence. “What would you like?”

“Uh…” 

Truth was, Chanyeol didn’t know anything – even the slightest bit – about teas. He didn’t even know there were different kinds. He had always stuck with coffee. Coffee was his best friend.

“Anything you have,” he finally said. It was the safest answer. He hoped Baekhyun wouldn’t notice. _Please don’t let him think I’m some dumb weirdo._

“Would you want Earl Grey, then?”

That sounded nice. “Sure. Thank you.”

Chanyeol settled on the couch, sitting nicely as any new guest would. He took another look at his surroundings. A flat screen TV was hung on the wall, below it a DVD player and some speakers. The newest game console sat beside it, covered nearly by a piece of fabric. Two huge windows were by its sides, showing a good view of the lawn. Chanyeol figured that he must have stuck out like a sore thumb, even from a distance, judging from where he was standing now. He was sure Baekhyun had panicked when he saw him out there, touching the fence. He would, too, if he were Baekhyun.

“Fuck,” he cursed, hitting himself on the head. That was pretty weird of him. “I really hope he doesn’t see me as a weird person.”

Sighing, he could only hope Baekhyun was kind enough to give him a chance to become his friend.

Baekhyun came back with two cups and saucers on both his hands, placing one in front of Chanyeol on the coffee table. He sat next to him, a small gap in between them.

“So,” Baekhyun began, taking a sip then putting his cup on the saucer. He placed his hands on his knees. “Chanyeol, right?”

Chanyeol nodded.

“Chanyeol from Honeydew,” Baekhyun added.

“Yes, Park Chanyeol from Honeydew Lane. That’s me.”

“Byun Baekhyun.”

“Oh.” Chanyeol smiled. “Nice to meet you, Byun Baekhyun of Sunset Drive.”

Baekhyun eyed him, his eyes lingering on Chanyeol’s lips longer than they should have. “You have very pretty eyes,” he told him instead.

“O-Oh?” Chanyeol wasn’t used to getting compliments, and he obviously _sucked_ at receiving them with how he was getting flustered at the moment. “Thanks, I guess?”

“Hmm.” Baekhyun leaned in, his face inches away from Chanyeol. “And you have a mole on your nose.”

Absentmindedly, Chanyeol touched his nose, right where his mole was on. “Yeah—I do. You’re very observant.”

“I like to get to know people.” Baekhyun leaned back and Chanyeol let out a quiet breath he didn’t even notice he was holding.

“That’s actually quite nice, you know.”

“And it’s not hard to tell that you don’t really like tea.” Baekhyun smiled, tilting his head to the side. “Is this your first time tasting one?”

Chanyeol brought his head down, cheeks dusted crimson, greatly embarrassed. He got caught. “I’m more of a coffee person.”

“I’ll take a note of that when you come by again.”

—

True to his words, Baekhyun did offer Chanyeol coffee the next time he came by. It was a week after their first encounter. Chanyeol thought he would let a few days pass, so as not to seem too clingy to his new friend (or acquaintance? He didn’t really know. He liked to consider Baekhyun as a friend). It happened again, and again, and again, until it was almost everyday that Chanyeol was dropping by. Most of the time, they would talk about the day, their lives at Bayview. Sometimes, they would touch personal topics – just to get to know each other more.

Eventually, the atmosphere turned lighter and was far better than the first time, probably because Chanyeol was no longer a stranger to Baekhyun, and neither was Baekhyun to Chanyeol.

“Do you live alone?” Chanyeol asked, realizing that after how many times he had visited, he had not seen anyone else in the house apart from Baekhyun himself.

Baekhyun reached for the remote, turning the TV on and flipping through the channels before replying. “Yes.”

“That must be lonely…”

“Not really, no.” Baekhyun craned his head to look at Chanyeol, who turned to look at him as well. “I like the solitude living alone gives. It gives me peace of mind, you know? I don’t have to worry about other things than myself.”

“Still… Doesn’t it get too lonely? Like… I don’t know. You don’t have anyone else to talk to.”

“There’s the phone. And I have the internet, so I can really just call up any time I want.”

Chanyeol begged to disagree, but he left it at that. Baekhyun _was_ different from him, after all. He shouldn’t force something on him just because _he_ found it uncomfortable. 

“How old are you, by the way?”

Baekhyun smirked. “Why? Are you scared that I might be a forty-year-old creep?”

“What? Wait—” Chanyeol paused, panic rising from the pits of his stomach. “You’re not, _are_ you?”

The blond man scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I’m twenty-four, if that makes you feel any better.”

“You’re a hag.”

Baekhyun chucked a pillow at him. “I’m not!”

“You’re almost halfway fifty, dude. You’re _old._ ”

“How old are you, then?”

“Twenty-three.”

“You talk as if I’m a hundred times older than you. You’re almost as old as me, dumbass!”

“Ooh, pet names,” Chanyeol cooed. “We’re at this level of friendship now?”

“Don’t push your luck.” Another roll of Baekhyun’s eyes. “Come on. It’s getting stuffy in here.”

“Where are we going?”

“For a drive.”

It came to a shock to Chanyeol when Baekhyun rolled out an Audi from inside his garage. Its sleek black exterior reflected the sunlight, hitting Chanyeol’s eyes momentarily blinding him, but still he couldn’t take his eyes off of it. Not yet. Not when a beauty such as this was right in front of his eyes.

“You’re rich,” was the first thing he said when Baekhyun rolled down the window, sticking out his elbows like the cool guy he was.

“Eh,” Baekhyun replied nonchalantly with a small wave, albeit there was a small smiling hanging on his lips. “Are you getting in or what?”

“ _Holy shit._ ” Excited, shaky hands opened the door to the passenger seat, and Chanyeol slid down, gasping when he saw the gorgeous interior. “ _Ho_ _ly shit._ ”

“I take it, you like it?”

“Like it? Are you _kidding_ me?” Chanyeol looked at him with comically wide eyes. “I love it!”

Baekhyun hummed, a smug grin on his lips. “I’m very proud of this baby.”

“You call your car _baby_?”

“Yes. And?”

“Nothing.” Chanyeol looked outside the window as Baekhyun backed up to the driveway. “Where are we going?” he asked once more.

“Where do you want to go?” Baekhyun placed the phone on the holder situated in between his seat and Chanyeol’s. It was immediately connected to the car’s speakers and automatically, it started playing a song that was all too familiar to Chanyeol.

“You listen to Megadeth?” Again, Chanyeol’s widened eyes met Baekhyun’s droopy ones.

“Didn’t expect little ol’ me to listen to this?”

“I pegged you for a more mellow dude.”

“I like some of them, but it isn’t really my cup of tea,” Baekhyun replied with a scrunch of his nose. “I like how metal songs fill up the car. Makes me want to do a head bang.”

“I bet you do that when no one’s watching.”

“And if I do?”

Chanyeol smiled. “No judgment from me. I do all sorts of crazy things in my car, too. Though I must say, you have quite the taste.”

“Of course I do. I wouldn’t be Baekhyun if I didn’t have the best taste in music.”

“Sure,” Chanyeol replied, still grinning. “Whatever you say, old man.”

  
  
  


**The City**

The neighborhood Baekhyun and Chanyeol lived in was quite far from the bustling streets of the city. The drive took them at least an hour to get there with – thankfully – minimal traffic.

The two had spent the time bickering about their musical tastes – fighting over the next song to be played. It was fun for both of them as they filled the car with boisterous laughter.

“We’re here!” Baekhyun exclaimed, parking by the curb.

Chanyeol peered out to see a café. “You drove all the way here for coffee?”

Baekhyun flicked his finger on the taller man’s forehead. “For the dogs.”

“What? What dogs?”

“Come out and you’ll see.”

Baekhyun was the first to come out of the car, slamming the door shut. He rounded the vehicle to stand on the sidewalk in front of the said café, waiting for his friend to come out.

“Come on, slowpoke,” he said just as Chanyeol stuck his head out from the car. “There’s a few more hours until closing time.”

The moment Chanyeol stepped inside, he was met with the sickly sweet scent of coffee and –

“Doggos!”

The delight on Chanyeol’s face was hard to miss, even prompting a hearty laugh from Baekhyun. The latter nodded as a gesture, telling Chanyeol to go in first. They had to order food and drinks for them to stay, after all.

Chanyeol needed not be told twice as he toed off his shoes, leaving him with his socks on. His eyes went straight to the dogs that came rushing towards him, jumping around and barking.

“Settle down, settle down,” he said with a laugh. He made himself comfortable by sitting on one of the pillows in front of a low table. “I’ll play with all of you, so don’t worry!”

“Liking it so far?”

Chanyeol turned his whole torso to look at Baekhyun who was padding towards his way, clean white socks covering his feet. He sat on the pillow next to Chanyeol, folding his legs and tucking them underneath him. One of the dogs made its way to Baekhyun’s lap in an instant, making itself comfortable.

“Do you often come here?” Chanyol asked, brushing his hand on one dog’s head. “It’s the first time I’ve seen a café with pets. I don’t go here in the city that much.”

“Not really, but when I have the time, I pass by here.” Baekhyun played with the corgi’s ears then scratched its belly. “I love them.”

“The dogs are really nice. This is a good idea for a business.”

“Right?”

Soon after, their food and drinks arrived. A clubhouse sandwich (“You should really try it. It’s the best one here!” Baekhyun said.) and two glasses of apple juice.

“I didn’t know what you’d like, so I settled for apple juice,” Baekhyun said, scratching the back of his neck, sheepish.

“It’s alright.” Chanyeol grinned. “My fault for not telling you what I wanted.” He paused for a moment, before finally realizing. “Wait, I didn’t even give you money—I’m so sorry—”

“Don’t mention it,” his friend cut off smoothly, as if it was no bother at all. “I asked you to go here with me. I took some of your time, so it’s just right for me to treat you to a meal.”

“Still… I feel like I’ve been leeching off of you. You know, with the food you give me at your house and now here at the café.”

Baekhyun tapped his chin, looking up for a brief moment as he hummed. “You’re right. I shouldn’t be spoiling you like this.”

“But if you insist,” Chanyeol countered playfully. He earned himself a punch on the shoulder. “I’m kidding! I’ll treat you to lunch next time. We could also go to the movies or something.”

“Do you even have the money?”

Chanyeol had the heart to look offended. “What do you think of me, a broke man?” he asked incredulously, to which Baekhyun replied with an eager nod.

“You showed up at my house in sweats and slip-ons. You’re wearing the same hoodie when I first saw you.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

Baekhyun shrugged. “Want me to buy you clothes? I know a good shop down the street.”

“Baekhyun!”

“Would you also want shoes to complete the whole fit?”

“I swear, I will—”

“You’ll what? Hmm?”

Chanyeol huffed, putting his folded arms in front of his chest in defense. He could never really win against the smaller man. “Fine. You win, you rich motherfucker.”

“Language, Chanyeol. We’re in front of babies,” Baekhyun warned, booping the corgi’s nose.

“They won’t even understand,” Chanyeol deadpanned.

“It’s still not good to swear in front of them.”

“Alright, grandpa. No swearing in front of the babies.”

Ignoring the rude nickname, Baekhyun instead turned his attention to the sandwiches laid in front of them. He picked one up, pressing it to fit his mouth. When he got a taste of his favorite snack, he closed his eyes, letting out a satisfied moan.

“This is really good.” Baekhyun slid the plate closer to Chanyeol. “Come on, try it!”

Shrugging, Chanyeol picked the other sandwich up. He thought that Baekhyun was probably exaggerating with the whole thing. _I mean, it’s just an ordinary sandwich. What’s so good about this, anyway?_

When he took the first bite, though, Chanyeol felt like he was transported to another dimension.

“ _Holy shit._ ”

“I said no swearing, but I’ll let it pass. It’s good, right?”

Chanyeol looked at him, mouth agape. “This is _so_ good! How is this possible? It’s just a sandwich!”

Chuckling, Baekhyun patted the underside of Chanyeol’s chin. “Close your mouth, darling. Wouldn’t want the chewed up sandwich falling from your mouth, would you?”

“First of all— _ew_ , that’s disgusting. Second—what’s up with darling?” Chanyeol laughed, still oblivious to the warmth blooming in his chest. “Now you _really_ sound like a grandpa.”

“Whatever.” Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “Do you still want more of those?”

With a sheepish grin, Chanyeol nodded. “Yes, please. Thank you.”

Another order of the clubhouse sandwich was sent to their table and added to Baekhyun’s bill. Chanyeol gobbled his sandwich in an instant, mimicking the same satisfied moan Baekhyun had made earlier. He couldn’t quite explain how the sandwich tasted that good, but he guessed that it was the café’s little secret to success.

“It’s still early,” Baekhyun stated, looking at his phone. “Do you have somewhere in mind?”

“I’m not really familiar with the city,” Chanyeol admitted.

“You really need to go out more.”

“It’s not because I don’t go out,” the taller man argued. “It’s more of being busy with work.”

“Where do you work, if I may ask?”

“Oh, it’s kind of a business? Kind of. My friends and I had a small building built, just a little outside this city. Used it to put up a small restaurant and a recording studio.”

“Wow,” Baekhyun breathed out. He hadn’t really thought about what Chanyeol did for his free time – it didn’t cross his mind as he thought they were not yet close enough to talk about it. “And you say I’m rich.”

“You have a fucking _Audi._ ”

“And?”

“An Audi, Baekhyun. Do you get what I’m saying?”

A shrug. “Not really.”

“It means you earn more than what the three of us do, collectively. You’re rich. I’m adding you to my rob list.”

“You have a list of people to rob?”

“...It’s a joke.”

“How is that a joke?”

“Haven’t you seen it on Twitter?”

“Nope. Not really on social media.”

“Boo. You’re boring. As expected from an old man like you.”

“Whatever.” Baekhyun sighed, standing up and shaking his sleepy legs. He made his way to the other dogs in the extended part of the café. “Come here, Chanyeol.”

“What am I, a dog?” Chanyeol grumbled. Nevertheless, he followed Baekhyun inside.

“You kind of look like one, actually. Puppy.”

“Between you and me, it’s _you._ You’re the puppy.”

Dogs pooled around by Chanyeol’s feet, some of them humping his right leg and the others jumping to get his attention. He picked one up – a black poodle – and carried it in his arms, cradling him.

“Baekhyun, take a picture of me!”

“Quick, give me your phone.”

Chanyeol swayed his hips, jutting his ass out for Baekhyun to get his phone from his back pocket. Baekhyun snorted, fishing the phone out.

“Bold of you to let me face your ass—if there ever is one at all.”

“Fuck you.”

“Hey, this is the last time I’m warning you about swearing in front of the babies!”

“Don’t insult my ass, then!”

“I’m not insulting them when I’m merely telling the truth,” Baekhyun replied with a shrug. “Come on. Pose for me.” When Chanyeol did, he took a few snaps on his phone.

“Do the pictures look good?” Chanyeol asked, peering over Baekhyun’s shoulder.

“Of course,” the smaller replied smugly. “I’m a great photographer.”

“Yeah, okay. But the pictures turned out nice because _I_ look nice.”

“You wish. The dog looked better in these.”

“Again, fuck you.” Chanyeol earned a kick on his (non-existent) ass right there and then.

  
  


—

  
  


Over the following weeks, Chanyeol had gotten really busy. A lot more people had come to know about their little café. It was easy to spot, actually; literally sitting right by the signage that held the city’s name.

It felt good to see more people coming in, especially loving their interior (“I designed this, you know,” Jongin had shared it with one customer then). But, Chanyeol was beginning to get tired. All the running around exhausted him.

“I’m tired,” he said with a sigh, flopping down on one of the cushioned seats. He dropped the towel he had in his hand on the table. “I never really thought we’d get so busy like this.”

“Agree,” came Sehun’s reply. Unlike Chanyeol, though, he continued wiping the tables clean. “But that’s not an excuse for you to laze around now. Help me!”

Chanyeol whined. “Let me rest for a second!”

“Junmyeon!” Sehun called, looking smug. “Chanyeol’s not helping me!”

The said man came walking through the door of their storage room, untying the ribbon at his back to remove his apron. A smile graced his gentle features as he shook his head endearingly at the bickering pair.

“Let him rest, Sehun. He deserves it. He did a lot today.”

“Thank you, Junmyeon.”

Sehun harrumphed, although playfully. “Unfair.”

Chanyeol paid him no heed as he slouched on the seat, finally feeling his legs. Work was no joke. He could barely feel his limbs after hours of waiting and wiping tables and jotting down orders.

“I gotta go make a quick run to the studio,” he announced, removing his own apron and tossing it to Sehun, who panicked as he failed to catch it in time.

“Have you finished the song?” Jongin asked.

Chanyeol had been working on a new one since a few weeks ago. He didn’t actually think inspiration would hit him right away just when he had submitted a demo to a company just a few months ago. He had yet to hear from them, but they were constantly updating him about the progress.

When he worked, it would usually take him months to finish. It would also take him a few months to come up with something new, so this one – another one right after his latest – was new.

“I’m almost done,” Chanyeol answered. “I’ll let you guys hear it when I’ve finished arranging the whole thing.”

“Such a hard-working man,” Sehun commented. “Go get us that cash, boy!”

“Oh, shut up.”

He rushed upstairs to where his studio was. Chanyeol turned on the lightswitch, a few lights flickering open – those that he deemed absolutely necessary to let him see inside.

When he was fully settled, he set up his computer and placed the headphones on his ears.

_Roses._

It wasn’t really the most unique title, but it was what Chanyeol felt right. It fit the lyrics of the song he wrote, and he thought it encompassed everything that was needed to be shared.

He thought of the long eyelashes that fluttered prettily when abashed; he thought of the moles that drew patterns on pristine skin; he thought of pretty fingers that wrapped around the small teacup; and finally, he thought of the pink, glossy lips that would curve up in a smile.

Chanyeol never really had someone in his mind when he wrote. Not even when he was younger, or when he was in college studying music. Inspiration only hit him at random times, and it was in those times that he would be fully able to compose. It came just as fast as it left. Rare.

His songs, albeit some of them being about romance, were general. Aimed to capture the hearts of many.

This one, though – this was new.

Chanyeol had a _muse._

He really didn’t think it was that serious at first. The first time, like any other time, he thought inspiration had hit him. He thought it was random; right after he and Baekhyun had gone to the amusement park because the latter had an extra ticket and wanted Chanyeol to come with him.

  
  
  
  


“Come on, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun had pleaded that day, bottom lip jutted out and fingers clasped in front of him. “Go with me?”

A sigh escaped Chanyeol’s lips, though he was sporting a smile. “You won’t take no for an answer, no?”

Baekhyun shook his head. _Cute._ “Nope!” he said, popping the ‘p’.

“I guess I have no choice, then.”

“You’re going to love it!”

That time, they used Chanyeol’s car. It wasn’t as sleek and lavish as Baekhyun’s Audi, but it was fairly beautiful on its own.

The amusement park was, of course, in the heart of the city. An attraction to lure more tourists in. 

There had been a few times that Chanyeol had come, some of them with his friends; other times he had been with his family: smaller and younger cousins, as well as nieces and nephews. 

Baekhyun, to put it simply, was very excited.

“Hey, slow down a bit,” Chanyeol said, walking up the flight of stairs.

“You’re such a slowpoke.”

Baekhyun was literally bouncing on his heels, like a kid wanting to go every single ride – which was what he really intended to do.

“Vikings?”

“Are you kidding me?” Chanyeol exclaimed. “I’m never going to ride that shit again!” The last time he rode that monster of a boat, he ended up falling to the ground as soon as he got off. He _literally_ didn’t feel his legs. He even thought his soul left his body.

“You’re no fun.”

“You go ride it. I’m waiting for you down here.”

“You’re just going to waste the ticket. Come on!” As usual, Baekhyun didn’t take no for an answer. Gripping on Chanyeol’s wrist tightly, he dragged him towards the line. Fortunately, it wasn’t that long. Baekhyun hated waiting in line.

“Baekhyun…” Chanyeol looked like he was going to piss his pants.

“Don’t be such a wuss! If you’re that scared, just hold my hand. Alright?”

Chanyeol swallowed the lump in his throat as he nodded.

To say he was afraid was an understatement.

In fact, Chanyeol was beyond _terrified._ The ride hadn’t even started and yet there he was, sitting stiffly as he sat next to Baekhyun. His hold on the metal bar that was supposed to not let them fall (apart from the tight seat belts they had on) was tight, his knuckles turning white.

“Loosen up, will you?” Baekhyun said with a chuckle. Chanyeol couldn’t hear him well, though. He was too busy praying in his head.

“I can’t,” he replied, gritting his teeth. He had yet to loosen his hold. “Oh God, I think I’m going to pass out.”

“Cut it out. It hasn’t even—oh, it’s swinging now!” Baekhyun raised his hands above his head, a little too energetic for the first part of the ride. “Chanyeol, raise your hands like this!”

“No! I’m not letting go.”

But Baekhyun was persistent. His left hand wrapped tightly around Chanyeol’s right wrist and before he knew it, Baekhyun already had his hand in his, raising it above their heads. “Yay!!!”

“ _Fucking hell._ ”

A loud chortle erupted from Baekhyun as the ride started to swing even higher. Chanyeol would have admired the view if it were not for his heartbeat that was beating really hard in his chest. He was hyper-aware of how their fingers were intertwined; how Baekhyun’s hand seemed to fit his perfectly – but the moment was cut off when the boat swung down from their side, with Chanyeol feeling his stomach hitting the bottom.

“BAEKHYUN!!!! GET ME OFF THIS RIDE!!!”

“NO!!!! THIS IS FUN!!!!” Baekhyun squeezed Chanyeol’s hand to make him look at him. “HERE WE GO!!!”

“FUCK!!!!!”

That was the worst and longest ten minutes in Chanyeol’s life. 

As expected, his legs were wobbly after getting off. Despite that, Chanyeol continued walking until he found a bench, with a laughing Baekhyun in tow.

“That was only the first ride.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Chanyeol heaved a shaky sigh.

Baekhyun crouched in front of him, leaning forward to meet his eyes. Chanyeol was quick to avert his gaze, but it was already too late when the heat rose from his neck to his ears, leaving him crimson. _Goddamn Baekhyun and his unearthly face._

“You okay?”

“No.”

Baekhyun stared at him with soft eyes. He held onto Chanyeol’s hands, warm hands enveloping icy cold ones. “I’m sorry.”

Chanyeol was astounded to hear him apologizing. Baekhyun was more of a tease-until-you-cry guy. “Hey, no. It’s fine.”

“Clearly not if you’re shaking so bad.”

“I-I—” Chanyeol stammered, “I’m not shaking!”

“Your hands.”

Chanyeol looked down. Indeed, his hands were still shaking. Although, they were not as cold as before. With a laugh, he shook his head. He pried Baekhyun’s fingers off of his before taking his hand in his, the low thrum of his heartbeat buried under the screams coming from the other riders. “Let’s go. Where to, next?”

“Are you sure you can go further? I can go alone.”

Firmly, Chanyeol shook his head again. _He was not letting Baekhyun go alone, even if he did say he could._ “Don’t mind me. As long as I’m with you, I think I’m going to be okay.”

He was pulled to the next extreme ride Baekhyun had in mind: the Extreme Drop Tower.

“Oh, no.” Chanyeol closed his eyes, planting his feet firm on the ground so Baekhyun couldn’t pull him – but there was no use fighting Baekhyun’s strength when he had his mind set on something.

“Oh, yes!” Baekhyun countered, gripping tightly on Chanyeol’s hand. “You agreed to come with me!”

“I’m going to _die_ if I ride that shit. I’m not joking.”

Baekhyun ignored his protests and continued dragging him to the end of the ride’s line.

“This is going to be fun, I promise you.”

“For you,” Chanyeol grumbled. 

  
  
  
  
  


He was brought back from his reverie when his phone beeped, signaling a text message.

_I didn’t even get to the good part._ He paused. _Man, I really daydreamed of our… What was it, anyway? A date?_

**_Date._ **

_That sounded good._

“God, I’m so weird… Daydreaming about it.” Chanyeol shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts. Anyway, it was suffice to say that when he dropped off Baekhyun at his house, he went to the studio instead of going home.

He picked up his phone, smiling when he saw Baekhyun’s name on his screen.

> **From: Byun Baekhyun**
> 
> **10:23 PM**
> 
> hey, can i drop by ur place?

  
  


> **To: Byun Baekhyun**
> 
> **10:24 PM**
> 
> sure. i’ll be home in half an hour, i think. i have to finish something up. do you want me to come and pick you up from your place?

> **From: Byun Baekhyun**
> 
> **10:24 PM**
> 
> if it’s not too much of a bother. thank u ❤️

  
  


The little heart was what it took for Chanyeol to quickly face his computer and rearrange the song. He added a few more lyrics, almost at the bridge. His mind overflowed with ideas he didn’t even know was there. He just knew that all of it was because of the certain man that lived at the farthest end of Sunset Drive.

  
  
  
  


**Honeydew Lane**

Chanyeol finished working at around 11:15 in the night. He stretched his legs and arched his back, the strain in his muscles for sitting too long getting to him.

Immediately after turning everything off, he dialed Baekhyun’s number. 

A couple of rings later, he was greeted by a soft, “Hello?”

“Baekhyun, hi.”

“Oh, Chanyeol. Hey.”

“Sorry, did I disturb you?”

“No, not at all.”

“You sound like you just woke up.”

Baekhyun chuckled at the other end of the line. “I dozed off a bit after watching a movie. It’s finally my day off, you see.”

Until now, Chanyeol didn’t know what Baekhyun worked as. He never asked, as he thought Baekhyun didn’t really want to. He’d wait for him to tell him.

“Can I come over to pick you up, now? That is, if you’re still up to go to my place.”

“Yeah, of course. I was waiting for you, actually.”

“Great,” Chanyeol said with a smile, even though Baekhyun couldn’t see him. “Don’t fall asleep.”

“What, will you be on the phone with me until you get here?”

“Do you want me to?”

Silence, and then a soft laugh.

“Okay.”

The fluttering of Chanyeol’s heart didn’t fail to constrict his chest. _Oh, Baekhyun. What are you doing to me?_

Like what they had agreed upon, Chanyeol stayed on the phone with Baekhyun. He heard occasional rustling sounds from the other end of the line, and Chanyeol suspected that Baekhyun must be walking around his home. He could imagine it, really – what from being there all the time. He could imagine Baekhyun pouring himself his usual cup of tea – chamomile, his favorite – in his usual comfortable clothes, feet propped up against his chest as he sat on his couch.

“You okay in there?” he asked as he got inside his car. He keyed the ignition, revving up the driveway afterwards.

“Yeah. I’m putting on my sweatshirt.”

“Ooh,” Chanyeol cooed, pressing on the phone harder in between his shoulder and ear, “is that the one with the bear in the middle?”

“Shut the fuck up, Park,” Baekhyun spat, venom lacing his voice. “And for the last time, it was my grandma’s gift and when you saw me wearing it a few weeks ago it was only because I had no other choice!”

“Whoa, I didn’t even say anything,” Chanyeol teased. It was fun hearing Baekhyun getting all riled up.

“Fuck you.”

“Aw, babe. That’s not a nice thing to say.”

“Again, fuck you. Come here faster so I can kick your balls.”

“Ouch.” Laughter bubbled up in Chanyeol until he could no longer suppress it. Baekhyun’s antics were never boring. “You just miss me.”

Baekhyun scoffed. Chanyeol smiled wider. “You wish.”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m almost there.”

Chanyeol turned right at the familiar road of Sunset Drive. Even at a distance, he could already see Baekhyun standing by his mailbox, the phone held against his ear.

“I’m here.”

He could see Baekhyun look up, a smile illuminating his face. Quickly, Chanyeol unlocked his car and in no time, Baekhyun was inside.

“Well, finally? I thought you were never arriving. Such a slowpoke,” Baekhyun teased, ending the call and placing the phone inside his jeans’ pocket.

“Whatever. You didn’t forget anything? Your keys?”

“All in here, daddy,” Baekhyun replied, patting his pockets.

Chanyeol made a face of disgust. “Stop calling me that.”

“Don’t you like it, daddy?” This time, there was a lilt in Baekhyun’s voice. Somewhat sultry. Chills ran down Chanyeol’s spine.

Instead of answering the smaller man, Chanyeol turned his attention back on the road and stepped on the gas. No use in dwelling over his slightly hard cock.

_Die down, please die the fuck down._

It was so embarrassing for him to have a boner just because of a simple word. He hoped Baekhyun didn’t notice. Thankfully for him, it went away as soon as it grew.

It was nearing 12 midnight when they had arrived at Chanyeol’s place. Unlike Baekhyun’s, Chanyeol had a smaller lot – no lawn, but he did have a backyard. The first thing that had met Baekhyun’s eyes were the cute little potted plants that were placed on the porch.

“You have plants.”

“Uh, yeah.” Chanyeol turned off the car’s engine and took out the keys. “My sister gave them to me as a birthday present. Kept them alive since I wanted to know what they would grow up into.”

“Seems like I’m not the only one with a green thumb.”

“Oh, please. That’s nothing compared to the garden of roses you have.”

Baekhyun only smiled, once again being the first one to step out of the car. He let Chanyeol lead the way as it was his first time coming there. He breathed in the night’s cool air, seemingly satisfied as he hummed with a grin on his lips.

“Sorry, my house is a bit of a mess.”

“I never expected it to be okay in the first place, so don’t worry.”

Chanyeol hit Baekhyun on the arm. “Hey, it’s not that I don’t _clean_ it, okay? I just—haven’t had the time. Busy with work and all.”

“Sure.”

Chanyeol’s house was a bungalow. He never really thought of having a two-storey house when he practically lived alone. His parents were in the city, and his sister lived with her own family. Once, they had questioned him about his choices – about moving to a neighborhood that was quite far from where he had grown up. But, Chanyeol was resolute. His friends were also the reason why he wanted to move there. He found the place to be refreshing the first time he visited Junmyeon, who lived with his cousin, Jongin – Chanyeol’s other friend. Soon, Sehun moved in as well. It was not long after that Chanyeol had also made his decision to live independently and closer to his friends, then deciding to put up the restaurant.

“Make yourself comfortable, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol shimmied off his jacket, tossing it over to his couch. “So, I’m quite surprised by the sudden visit. What’s up?”

Baekhyun sat on the couch, looking around. “Just bored. Your house looks great.”

“You’re only saying that because you’re here,” Chanyeol retorded, friendly. “Don’t worry, I’m not spitting in your drink or something. I’m not that much of an asshole.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “You have tea in here?”

“Sadly, no. I only have cola, beer, and water. What do you prefer?”

“Water would suffice.”

“You’re boring.”

“I don’t like beer and my stomach hates cola.” Baekhyun decided to follow Chanyeol to the kitchen, soft pitter-patters of socked feet on the cold floor.

“Here.” Chanyeol handed him the glass of water. “You have baby taste buds.”

“Do baby taste buds like tea?”

Chanyeol pursed his lips. “You’re an exception.”

Baekhyun laughed, warm and pure – like a child free of worries. His eyes turned into crescents, barely open. The sound tickled Chanyeol’s ears, comforting in such a way he couldn’t quite describe. It wasn’t like a lullaby that would put him to sleep, no; it was the exact opposite of it. It sent little sparks of energy within Chanyeol, traveling to every part of his body.

“You can be really funny sometimes, did you know that?” Baekhyun said, wiping the tears that brimmed his eyelids. “Man, that was a good laugh.”

“You have a very unique sense of humor, then.”

Baekhyun hummed, sipping on the glass of water he had in his hand. “I guess I do.”

Snickering, Chanyeol prodded Baekhyun’s forehead with his finger. “Anything you want to do while you’re here?”

“Movies?”

“You came all the way here just to watch _movies_?”

“Well, yeah?”

Chanyeol sighed. “Fine. I think we can watch one.”

“Boo! You can’t handle a marathon?”

“I can, but I’m tired.”

“Fine.” Baekhyun turned on his heel, walking back towards the living room, bringing the glass with him. “Can you handle horror or are you going to pee your pants again, like how you did in a bunch of rides?”

“Fuck you. I can.”

“We’ll see about that.” 

Baekhyun settled back on the couch once again. Chanyeol dimmed his living room lights and handed Baekhyun a comfortable, fur blanket he had folded on the other small couch to cover his legs with before turning on the TV and setting it up. He handed Baekhyun the remote, letting him scroll through the list of movies presented on the screen. 

The light illuminated his face beautifully, creating a semi-silhouette of a perfect side profile. Chanyeol took this time to observe Baekhyun discreetly – the way he would scrunch up his nose when he found one movie distasteful, the way his eyes would move from reading the descriptions, the way his eyelashes fluttered, the way his cheeks puffed, the way he smiled when he finally found the perfect one.

“This one, Chanyeol.” Slowly, like something from a movie, Baekhyun turned his head, looking at Chanyeol with a smile that rendered him breathless.

Clearing his throat, the taller man averted his gaze, opting to look at the TV. He hoped Baekhyun didn’t notice him basically ogling at him. Chanyeol felt his cheeks burn up. “Veronica?”

An eager bob of the head. “Yeah!” Baekhyun exclaimed, eyes twinkling in fascination. “I’ve looked this one up before, though, I didn’t really have the time to watch. This was based on a true story.”

Maybe it was obvious (Chanyeol really didn’t know how to control his facial expressions), but Baekhyun burst out laughing at his face.

“Scared? You automatically _paled_ when I told you it was based on a true story,” Baekhyun said through his hand that clamped his mouth, stopping himself from laughing any louder than he should.

“Shut up. I’m not scared.”

Chanyeol could tell with the way Baekhyun bit his lip that he was _so_ not done. Not yet. “Sure… You’re not a scaredy-cat at all.”

Contrary to what he had defended countless times, Chanyeol ended up with all the pillows surrounding him, creating a barrier between him and everything else. Both of his hands were covering his eyes, a little opening in between his fingers giving him a chance to still watch. Baekhyun was left with the fur blanket – compared to Chanyeol, he wasn’t that bothered with the whole plot.

“You okay in there in your little… castle?”

The taller man chucked a pillow at him, immediately getting it back so as not to destroy his safe haven. “Shut up and focus on the movie.”

“I am,” Baekhyun answered, a hint of teasing in his voice. “Although, I find you more interesting than the movie itself. Look at you.” A sly smile made its way to Baekhyun’s lips as he crawled towards him, and Chanyeol? Well, he wasn’t taking it too well – if the violent beating of his heart was a dead giveaway. “You look so…”

_I look so what?_

_Baekhyun’s face is_ **_so close so close so close so close_ ** _I want to hold him I want to kiss him so bad._

Baekhyun stopped moving when his whole body was hovering above Chanyeol, his face a few centimeters away from the frightened (nervous) man. His eyes traveled from the top of his head, travelling down south, meeting his eyes, seeing his nose, and finally stopping a little above Chanyeol’s chin – to where his plump lips were.

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun murmured, voice low and breathy. When he received no reply, he tested the waters – coming closer until his lips brushed the soft skin of Chanyeol’s cheek.

“Chanyeol,” he called once again leaning forward. His lips now touched the shell of Chanyeol’s ear. “Oh, Chanyeol…”

“B-Baekhyun,” Chanyeol croaked, his fingers clenching hard on the pillow he was holding. He couldn’t take it anymore if Baekhyun dragged whatever this was for much longer. 

“BOO!”

Chanyeol pushed Baekhyun off of him, and even when the latter fell on the floor, he couldn’t contain his laughter. “WHAT THE FUCK WHY DID YOU SCREAM IN MY EAR!”

“You looked _so_ scared! Oh God, I can’t breathe!” Baekhyun continued to roll on the floor, clutching on his stomach. “What the fuck, Chanyeol!”

“Glad to see you being happy about my pain,” Chanyeol said bitterly.

The movie was long forgotten as Baekhyun literally never stopped laughing, not until Chanyeol had tackled him to the ground, pinning his arms above his head. Gradually, Baekhyun’s laugh died down as he stared right into Chanyeol’s serious eyes. His chest was heaving, trying to catch his breath, but he held Chanyeol’s gaze.

“You…”

Chanyeol had a lot to say. He literally had, but none of those words were coming out. He was lost in the deep abyss of Baekhyun’s wonderful eyes. Baekhyun was beautiful and Chanyeol would never get tired of seeing his face.

“Me…?”

“You’re beautiful.”

Baekhyun kept mum, although there was a slight tint of pink on his cheeks. Chanyeol’s heart swelled in adoration.

_Could it be… that… this is mutual?_

“The movie’s over,” he whispered, breath fanning over Baekhyun’s face.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun answered softly, eyes darting everywhere. _He’s shy…? Around me? The ever despicable Byun Baekhyun?_

“Do you wanna go to my room?”

“Huh?”

“To sleep. In my room. The guest room’s… not really prepared.”

“I’m okay with sleeping here on the couch—”

“I’m not letting you sleep here. I know how uncomfortable it can be.” Chanyeol pushed himself off the floor, not forgetting to help Baekhyun up as well. “If you’re uncomfortable with sleeping next to me, I have an extra mattress. I can sleep on the floor.”

“No, no. I’m alright, really.” The pink never left Baekhyun’s cheeks as he stumbled around for words to say. “I can really sleep here on the couch.”

“As I’ve said, Baekhyun, I’m not letting you sleep there.” Cautiously, Chanyeol slid his hands in Baekhyun’s, and seeing that there was no form of rejection from the touch, he finally intertwined their fingers. “Come on. My room’s just right there.”

Chanyeol tugged on Baekhyun’s hand, leading him to his room. Luckily for him, his room was clean (Thank the heavens for letting him clean up earlier). A king-sized bed laid in the middle of the room, a night stand to its right, and a tall lampshade to its left. A desk was situated by the wall adjacent to the bed, stacked with tons of music sheets where Chanyeol sometimes idly composed. There was another door that led to Chanyeol’s small walk-in closet. Other than those, Chanyeol’s room was almost bare of anything.

“I’m going to go get the extra mattress in the other room.” 

He let go of the smaller man’s hand, turning towards the door to exit the room, but was immediately stopped when Baekhyun tugged on the hem of his shirt.

“Yes?” Chanyeol asked, inspecting Baekhyun’s face.

“You don’t have to get the mattress…” Baekhyun mumbled, though Chanyeol didn’t really catch it.

“I’m sorry? I didn’t hear.”

“I said,” Baekhyun began, exhaling a breath he was holding, “you don’t have to get the extra mattress.”

“What—?”

“I’d like to sleep next to you, if that’s okay.”

“Oh,” Chanyeol breathed out. He wasn’t expecting it, but it was not unwelcome either. A smile bloomed on Chanyeol’s face, a little too sweet. “Okay. Let me just get you some pajamas to wear. Wouldn’t want to keep the baby uncomfortable.”

“Pfft. Me? A baby?”

“Yeah.” _My baby._ “You look like a baby.”

“But I’m not the one acting like it.” Baekhyun mimicked what Chanyeol was doing, covering his eyes with his hands, leaving a gap in between his index and middle fingers so he could see. “Look at me, I’m scared!”

Chanyeol only rolled his eyes at him before heading towards his closet. He pulled out a few pajamas that were kind of short for him (His mother really wasn’t the best when it came to buying clothes without a concrete reference for the size). Before coming out, though, he made sure to change into his.

“Baekhyun, here.” He placed the cute pair of pajamas on the edge of the bed, next to where Baekhyun was seated. “I don’t know if those will fit you well, but they’re the smallest ones I have.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not one to complain. Thank you, Chanyeol.”

“I’ll also find you a spare toothbrush.”

“You’re doing too much for me.”

“Only the best for you.” He turned around to rummage his cabinets for any extra toothbrushes, oblivious of the smiling Baekhyun behind him.

—

“Ah, I feel so fresh.”

Baekhyun plopped down on the bed, arms and legs spread out like a starfish. Chanyeol chuckled at the smaller’s antics, shaking his head as he sat on the right side – the one where he usually slept.

“Had a good shower?”

Baekhyun hummed in affirmation and patted the mattress. “Come lie next to me.”

“How can I, when you’ve taken up all the space?”

Laughing, Baekhyun rolled over to the left. “There. Now, come lie next to me.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.” 

Chanyeol was happy to comply with Baekhyun's words, tucking his feet under the comforter. Baekhyun followed suit, going under the covers. What Chanyeol did not expect was when Baekhyun snuggled close to him. He could smell the soap he’d used – the very one Chanyeol had always used. Baekhyun’s hair was damp and Chanyeol was tempted to run his fingers through it. The strong yet sweet smell of strawberries hit his nose.

“What shampoo did you use?” Chanyeol asked all of a sudden. He was sure that he didn’t have one that smelled of strawberries.

“What? I didn’t wash my hair.”

“Why is it damp?”

“When I turned the shower knob, I forgot I was standing a bit close,” Baekhyun answered, a little embarrassed.

“Cute.” Chanyeol shifted closer, sniffing Baekhyun’s hair. “It smells good.”

“You like it?”

Chanyeol hummed. “Strawberries.”

“I like them.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, then.”

“You’ll bring me some?”

“Only if you want me to.”

Baekhyun pulled back a bit to look at Chanyeol’s face. “Are you kidding me? I’d love you to!”

A face-splitting grin made its way to Chanyeol’s face immediately. “Okay, I’ll bring some the next time I come over to your place. I’ll even have ones here – in case you come, that is.”

“Be ready, then. I might come unannounced.” Rubbing his eyes, Baekhyun yawned. Loudly.

“The baby is already sleepy?”

Baekhyun turned, making himself comfortable as his head laid on Chanyeol’s arm. “Yes. Good night, Chanyeollie.”

“Good night.” Chanyeol fought the urge to kiss him on his forehead and instead settled on wrapping his arms around his waist. “Sweet dreams.”

Ignoring the slight pain on his chest ( _Because of his heart, yeah,_ Chanyeol thought) Chanyeol figured Baekhyun wasn’t _just_ his muse.

  
  
  


**Birch Street**

“So, who’s this guy you’ve been with?”

The four of them decided to have barbecue at Sehun’s house. There wasn’t really any occasion, but they thought they deserved to at least lax around. They had been working nonstop for the past few weeks and they’d garnered moderate attention from the people, eventually having their regulars (The busy people who had no time to cook for themselves at home).

“Me?”

Jongin nodded at Chanyeol. “Yeah. You know, the one who kept looking for you when he dropped by the restaurant?”

“Ah, that…” The color red failed to make itself unknown with the way it instantly showed on Chanyeol’s ears, cheeks, and neck. “Well…?”

“Spill it out, Park!” Sehun shouted, pointing the two-pronged fork at him. “He’s cute, and he’s definitely not _just a friend,_ ” he added, using his fingers to show ‘invisible squigglies’ – as what he would call it.

“He’s… a friend. Just a friend.” 

At the denial, Chanyeol started coughing all of a sudden, losing his breath as he continued to heave, his body shaking violently. Junmyeon came up to him right away, rubbing his back to soothe him, but it did nothing but aggravate it more.

“Get him some water!” Junmyeon ordered, slightly panicking. Chanyeol’s face was almost turning purple. Tears sprung from his eyes as he couldn’t feel himself breathe.

Jongin ran inside Sehun’s house to pour Chanyeol a glass of water.

“I—I’m fine!” Chanyeol hit his chest with his fist – _one, two, three_ – but to no avail. He couldn’t stop. There wasn’t any itch in his throat, though he felt like there was something stuck in his chest. He wanted it out of him.

“You’re clearly not.” Sehun abandoned the barbecues he was cooking to attend to Chanyeol. “Jongin, quick!”

“Here!” 

Jongin handed Chanyeol the glass, which the latter took with shaky hands. Drinking the water didn’t help his condition as it only worsened it, with Chanyeol’s coughs getting more violent. He could feel it – the lodge coming up.

Chanyeol cupped his hands in front of his mouth as there, petals of red roses came out of his mouth.

Silence hung heavily in the atmosphere as the four of them stared at the bright red petals resting on Chanyeol’s palm.

“What… What is this?” Chanyeol asked, bewildered. This had never happened to him before and it was absurd. “Why am I coughing up _petals_?” He looked up, only to see the sullen expression on his friends’ faces.

“Chanyeol…” Jongin said softly, pulling him into a half-hug. He started rubbing small circles on the taller man’s back.

“What? What does this mean? Am I going to die?”

Sehun and Junmyeon shared a look.

“You’re in love,” Sehun said after much contemplation.

Chanyeol only stared at him in disbelief. How were these petals any indication that he was in love? And how did they even know?

“Chanyeol.” This time, it was Junmyeon who spoke. “You’re in love.”

“I kno—”

“But he doesn’t love you.”

—

Chanyeol mulled over the things his friends said.

_“Hanahaki disease,” Junmyeon said, picking on the meat he had on his plate._

_“What’s that?”_

_“You either vomit or cough up flower petals because someone you love doesn’t love you back. A disease for unrequited love, basically,” Jongin supplied, making it sound like a normal cold and cough._

_“Is there a way to stop this shit?”_

_“The only way to stop it is when he finally loves you back,” Sehun answered, not quite meeting Chanyeol’s eyes. He was devastated by his friend’s condition. Hanahaki disease was not ‘treatable’ in a sense that no amount of drugs or antibiotics could sever its growth in a person’s lungs._

_“What if he doesn’t?” Truthfully, Chanyeol didn’t want to know. But he knew he had to, even if it hurt him._

_“You… die,” Junmyeon said in a whisper that was barely audible. “You won’t be able to breathe. The petals will take up every bit of space in your lungs.”_

_“Isn’t there any other way?” Chanyeol was desperate. He didn’t_ choose _to fall in love like this. It wasn’t his fault – so why was_ he _the one suffering? It was unfair._

_“Nothing. If you make him fall in love with you, then you’re safe.”_

If Baekhyun fell in love with Chanyeol. 

That wasn’t impossible, right? Chanyeol could’ve sworn Baekhyun had even the slightest bit of feelings for him. _Maybe, he’s denying it._ ~~ _Or maybe, I was too blinded by my desire._~~ Yes, that was right. It would be impossible to do everything they did and still not harbor any sort of intimate feelings.

Chanyeol dialed up Baekhyun’s number. After three rings, Baekhyun picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Baekhyun!” Chanyeol’s voice was awfully cheery for someone who found out of his unrequited love. “Are you home?”

“Not at the moment…”

That was odd. Baekhyun was always home.

“Oh? Where are you, then? Can I come see you?”

“I’m quite busy this morning. You can come over later in the afternoon.”

Chanyeol could work with that. “Okay. I’ll see you later, then?”

“Sure. Bye, Chanyeol.”

The call was dropped even before he could say his goodbye. That was the first time Baekhyun had ever acted weird around him. It was unusual, to say the least. _Was he avoiding me?_ That would be impossible – he never did anything to make Baekhyun avoid him. _Maybe he was just really busy._ Chanyeol thought of Baekhyun’s job. The latter hadn’t mentioned any, and he barely even left his house. Though, it came as a mystery to him. He wanted to know, obviously, but Baekhyun had always evaded the question; always turning the attention back to him.

Now that Chanyeol had thought of it, he knew so little of Baekhyun. He knew he was a private person, but he only had shallow information about him. The times they talked were mostly about him – Chanyeol’s life, his work, his passion, his likes, and dislikes.

But of course, if Baekhyun wasn’t ready to share anything with him, he wouldn’t force him.

—

The café was filled with people when Chanyeol walked in. The smell of coffee brought a smile to his face, only to falter when he couldn’t see any sign of him. He fished his phone out of his pocket, ready to call his number, when a message popped up.

_look behind u_

And there Baekhyun was, clad in tight jeans and a white shirt. He also sported a shiny Rolex on his wrist and a black cap on his head. It was the first time Chanyeol saw him out of his usual hoodie-and-sweatpants get up, so it took him by surprise.

“Whoa, look at you.” Chanyeol whistled. “Damn, you look good.”

“I know.” Baekhyun grinned cheekily. “Follow me, our table’s at the far back.”

Dutifully, Chanyeol followed Baekhyun to their said table. There were already two slices of cake on the table – the other one already half-eaten.

“Sorry, I got hungry waiting for you.”

Chanyeol offered Baekhyun a gentle smile. “It’s okay.”

“So, what did you want to do?”

“I was thinking of doing a movie marathon tonight. It’s my day off tomorrow, so I have time to watch all night. What do you say?”

Baekhyun nodded, helping himself with another bite of cake. “Sounds good to me. Have any movies in mind?”

“Are you up for rom-coms?”

Baekhyun stifled a grin, hiding his lips behind his hand. “I knew you were a sappy motherfucker.” He took another bite of the cake.

“Whatever,” Chanyeol scoffed, yet he was smiling. “I just thought we could use more—I don’t know—light-hearted movies to watch?” He could vividly remember the horrors of the movie they last watched and really—Chanyeol didn’t want to watch another one of them.

“Sure,” Baekhyun replied with ease, shoulders relaxed as he leaned back on his seat, propping his hands in front of him. “Don’t go crying to me when they kiss, alright?”

“Shut the fuck up. I’m not _that_ sappy.”

“We’ll see about that.”

  
  


**Sunset Drive**

Chanyeol rode inside Baekhyun’s car again since he didn’t bring his car with him on the way to the coffee shop they were in earlier. After a little over twenty minutes, they arrived at Sunset Drive.

Baekhyun parked his car outside at first to let Chanyeol climb down. “You go in first,” he instructed him, tossing Chanyeol the keys. “I’ll park the car in the garage. You already know how everything works.”

“Okay.” Chanyeol twirled his keys in his fingers just as Baekhyun drove to his garage. He opened the gate, not forgetting to greet the bed of roses Baekhyun had. He bent down to see them at eye level. “Hello, beautiful.” Gently, he touched the petals of one rose, feeling them in between his fingers. They looked beautiful, blooming so wonderfully as they were nurtured with tender hands. 

“What are you doing?” Baekhyun asked from behind him, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips.

“Oh.” Chanyeol straightened his back, scratching the back of his neck as if he were caught red-handed. “Your roses—I just love them.”

“I love them, too.” Baekhyun stepped closer towards him, collecting the keys in his hands. “I thought you would have been inside now.”

“My apologies.”

“Come on.”

As usual, the inside of Baekhyun’s house was neat – looking much like it wasn’t touched at all. If Chanyeol didn’t know, he would have thought that no one actually lived there. But, he knew how meticulous Baekhyun could be, especially with the things he owned.

“Wanna order some chicken wings and beer?”

Chanyeol turned to look at him. “I thought you hated beer.”

“I can tolerate it if I have chicken to eat.” Baekhyun fished his phone out and dialed his favorite chicken place. “Set up the movie.”

Chanyeol did as he was told, turning on the TV and setting up Baekhyun’s Netflix. 

It wasn’t long until the chicken arrived along with a few cans of beer. Seemingly happy with his order, Baekhyun set them down on the table, sitting on the floor with his back near the foot of the couch. Chanyeol slid down to the floor as well, sitting side by side with him.

“What movie did you choose?” Baekhyun asked, picking up a chicken wing and munching on it – oblivious to the eyes that followed every movement of his mouth, oblivious to the gulp that followed right after he licked his lips.

“Oh, um… 50 First Dates.”

“Is that the movie where Drew Barrymore was in?”

Chanyeol really couldn’t look away from Baekhyun’s lips. “Yeah,” he muttered, eyes lingering for a few more seconds before finally looking at the TV.

“I think I’ve watched this before, but I forgot. I just know this is a good movie,” Baekhyun said. He reached for the can, popping it open and taking a long swig. “God, this tastes horrible.”

The taller man laughed, reaching for his own can and drinking. A hiss escaped his lips as the bitterness traveled down his throat. “We could have settled for soda, you know.”

“Nah. Besides, chicken wings are great with beer,” Baekhyun quipped, picking another chicken wing up. “Go watch the movie, asshat.”

But Chanyeol couldn’t – not when he had Baekhyun right in front of him like this. Not when Baekhyun looked absolutely stunning even under the dim lights of his living room. He simply couldn’t move his eyes away. Baekhyun was absolutely breathtaking. Every part of him – Chanyeol wanted to hold. He wanted Baekhyun. He wanted him so bad that it _hurt._

He felt the familiar burn in his chest. Subtly, he coughed once, covering it up like he was only clearing his throat, hoping Baekhyun wouldn’t notice his discomfort. Chanyeol didn’t want to ruin their night.

“I’ll get myself some water,” Chanyeol announced, pushing himself off the floor. 

Baekhyun’s gaze never left the TV as he replied, “Yeah, sure. Go ahead.”

Chanyeol made a beeline towards Baekhyun’s kitchen, pulling open the fridge’s door. He rummaged through its contents, reaching for the water container Baekhyun had, when his eyes landed on a glass bowl filled with rose petals. It was the first time Chanyeol had seen it and he was weirdly perplexed – _why was Baekhyun keeping a bowl of roses inside his fridge?_

He was too busy to notice that Baekhyun was already standing by his kitchen counter, hips leaning on the corner, silently watching him.

Choosing to ignore it, Chanyeol finally pulled out what he needed and poured himself a glass.

“Oh, shit!”

The glass almost slipped from his hand, but it was a good thing he had a good grip of it.

“God, Baekhyun. You scared me.”

Baekhyun was oddly silent for a few moments, face grim but Chanyeol completely missed it. A smile graced the soft features of his face, eyes crinkling. “You were taking so long, so I had to check.”

Chanyeol shrugged. “I had lots of water to drink,” he lied.

Baekhyun hummed, taking a few long strides to get in front of Chanyeol. He was dangerously close and if he were any closer, he would have been able to hear the loud beating of Chanyeol’s heart due to his close proximity and, of course, its struggle to circulate blood as his airways were constricted with the petals inside his lungs.

Subconsciously, Baekhyun pushed his thumbs inside the belt loops of Chanyeol’s jeans, hooking them firm so he could pull him closer. With a smile, he whispered, “You look so good.”

“I…”

“You smell good, too.” Baekhyun leaned his face on Chanyeol’s chest and took a deep breath. “Like my roses. You smell good,” he repeated.

Chanyeol’s mind was going haywire.

“Baekhyun…” he croaked out.

“Yes?” Slowly, Baekhyun lifted his head up, eyes meeting Chanyeol’s troubled ones. When he didn’t receive any reply, he inched his face closer, noses touching. “Chanyeol…”

“Baekhyun…”

Their lips touched.

The way Baekhyun kissed was nothing compared to Chanyeol’s previous lovers – they were nothing compared to the explosion he felt inside his chest. Baekhyun’s lips were soft, just as he had imagined them to be. They moved in ways that were gentle and innocent, yet strong – like promises filled with strong desire.

Chanyeol found himself trapped in between Baekhyun’s arms as the smaller put both of his hands on the counter behind them. Automatically, Chanyeol’s hands made their way to Baekhyun’s waist, momentarily feeling his sides until they rose to cup Baekhyun’s face. Chanyeol deepened the kiss and licked his way in, their tongues mingling together as they continued to kiss. 

Baekhyun’s shaky hands now roamed around Chanyeol’s torso, unintentionally digging his nails on his back and accidentally moaning as Chanyeol bit his bottom lip.

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun moaned, pressing his body closer to him. “Upstairs.”

In one swift move, Chanyeol had Baekhyun in his arms, with he smaller’s legs wrapped around his waist. The movie playing in the living room was long forgotten. Still lip-locked, Chanyeol made his way up the stairs, cautious of the steps. Baekhyun took the opportunity to pull away and pepper kisses on his neck, licking and nipping on spots that elicited soft moans from the taller. As Baekhyun busied himself with sucking hickeys on his neck, Chanyeol kicked open the door to Baekhyun’s room, immediately laying him down his bed and hovering on top of him, momentarily breaking away.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” Chanyeol said, voice low and hoarse as he nosed around Baekhyun’s neck, breath fanning on skin glistening with sweat.

Without any hesitation, Baekhyun removed his shirt, leaving him only his jeans. Chanyeol’s lips found themselves latched on one of Baekhyun’s nipples, tongue swirling around it. His fingers played with the other, pinching and palming it until it hardened under his touch.

“Ah, fuck,” Baekhyun moaned again, one hand in Chanyeol’s dark hair, tugging it lightly whenever Chanyeol sucked on his nipple. “God, you’re so good.”

“As I’ve been told,” Chanyeol replied smugly, taking Baekhyun’s other nipple in his mouth.

“Fuck off,” Baekhyun scoffed. He pulled Chanyeol’s head back up, startling the latter. “Remove your shirt, too, dickhead.”

Chanyeol chuckled, pulling his own shirt over his head, revealing the muscles he worked so hard to maintain. “Like what you see?”

“Very.” 

Baekhyun propped himself up a little bit before wrapping one arm around Chanyeol’s neck, pulling him down for another heated kiss. He rolled themselves over, switching their positions so Baekhyun had the upper hand.

Dainty fingers came to unbutton Chanyeol’s jeans, shimmying him out of them, leaving him in just his boxers. Baekhyun’s jean-clad legs were left by his sides, creating a pleasurable friction against Chanyeol’s skin.

“You’re hard already?” Baekhyun teased, cupping the outline of Chanyeol’s cock, feeling it twitch.

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll take care of this.”

Baekhyun slid himself in between Chanyeol’s legs after he pulled the last bit of clothing Chanyeol had on. The latter shivered, the coolness of the room hitting his most sensitive spot. Like Baekhyun had said, he did take care of it – his mouth swallowing Chanyeol’s cock until the tip reached the back of his throat.

“Fuck,” Chanyeol groaned, throwing his head back. “Your mouth feels so good.”

Baekhyun hummed in response, sending gratifying vibrations to Chanyeol’s cock – with Chanyeol almost bucking his hips forward inside his mouth.

He pulled away, letting his lips brush on the tip of Chanyeol’s dick. He spat on it, his hands cupping the girth as he started jerking him off.

Chanyeol had dreamt of this once – dreamt of having Baekhyun’s beautiful hands wrapped around his cock, jacking him off until pre-cum slowly came out of it.

Only that this wasn’t a dream anymore.

Putting his hand on Baekhyun’s, he guided him – squeezing when he wanted more friction. Chanyeol’s eyes wandered on Baekhyun’s face, observing the deep flush on the smaller’s cheeks and the glossy, swollen lips from sucking his cock.

“Wait.” Chanyeol removed both of their hands on his cock, letting it flop back on his stomach. He pushed Baekhyun to lie on his back, fumbling on his jeans as he, too, wanted to see the beauty of his legs.

Chanyeol’s eyes were met with the soft, pristine skin of Baekhyun’s legs, unblemished and smooth. He rubbed his palm on his right thigh, going higher and higher until he had it pushed in Baekhyun’s boxers where he reached for his balls.

“Oh,” Baekhyun gasped, his legs falling open. Hastily, he pulled the waistband down and kicked his boxers off, causing it to fall on the floor.

“You deserve the same pleasure you give.” Chanyeol wasted no time in going down at him, taking Baekhyun’s cock in his mouth. A loud moan reverberated in the four corners of the room, courtesy of Baekhyun’s mouth.

“Your mouth looks pretty around my cock,” Baekhyun said, carding his fingers through Chanyeol’s locks. “Look at you, sucking my dick good. You like it, don’t you? You filthy cocksucker.”

Chanyeol had his other hand on his own cock, pumping it fast as he bobbed his head, Baekhyun’s cock sliding in and out of his mouth faster and deeper.

“At this rate, I’m going to cum all over your face.”

Chanyeol pulled away with a pop, saliva dripping from the side of his lips. “Not so fast, babe.” He hovered on top of him, pushing Baekhyun’s legs to his chest. “I want you to cum while I’m fucking you – untouched.”

“Impossible. I never came untouched,” Baekhyun answered, a breathy laugh following it. “There’s bottle of lube somewhere inside that drawer.” He pointed to the bedside table and Chanyeol was quick to acquire the said bottle, squeezing out a good amount on his palm and slathering it around his length.

“Well, let’s change that.”

Cool, lubed fingers traced the rim of Baekhyun’s hole, earning a hiss from the said man. It had been a while since he touched himself, and it had been so long since he got laid. A foreign finger prodding around his asshole was something he was to get used to again.

“Do you think you can take my cock?” Chanyeol asked, pushing the first finger in.

Baekhyun whimpered as he felt Chanyeol’s finger inside of him, letting out a breath as he said, “Of course I can.”

“Just making sure.” Chanyeol added another one in. “Wouldn’t want to hurt you, angel.”

Baekhyun bit his lip, moving his hips so Chanyeol could dick his fingers deeper. “Fuck, yes.”

“Calm down. I’m going to stretch you good.”

“Well, hurry the fuck up. I’m incredibly horny and I want your fat cock inside of me already.”

Chanyeol chuckled at Baekhyun’s impatience, proceeding to adding two more fingers. “So tight.” He curled them inside of Baekhyun, leaving the latter a moaning mess on the sheets. He had to prep him good since he was sure Baekhyun was going to be sore as fuck after this.

“Chanyeol, _please._ ” Ragged breaths left Baekhyun, his hole clenching around the taller man’s fingers. Half-lidded eyes met with fiery ones. “Just fuck me already.”

“Okay, okay.” Chanyeol held held his heavy, leaking cock in his hand, slapping them on Baekhyun’s hole. He let the tip slide in first, pulling it out right away to tease him.

“Fuck you, you know that?”

“Yes, yes,” came Chanyeol’s breathy reply as he continued doing so.

“Dammit, Chanyeol!” Baekhyun spread his asscheeks apart. “Just fucking put your cock inside me!”

Without hesitation, Chanyeol thrusted his cock inside of him until he was balls-deep. Baekhyun was left with his eyes rolling to the back of his head, moaning as he felt every inch of Chanyeol’s cock deliciously ripping him apart.

“Shit, you feel so _fucking good._ Fuck, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol placed his hands on the underside of Baekhyun’s thighs, rubbing them up and down as he thrusted slowly. He groaned each time his cock dug deep in Baekhyun, feeling the latter’s walls tighten around him.

“Fuck, baby.”

The bed rocked with each thrust. Moans and groans carelessly slipped out of their mouths, hanging open and occasionally kissing.

“Wait,” Baekhyun suddenly said, holding Chanyeol to a stop, the sounds of squelching dying down. He then grabbed a hold of Chanyeol’s left hand, the one with the wristwatch, and held it close to his neck. “Choke me.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widened, gulping. Nodding, he wrapped his hand around Baekhyun’s throat, pressing down lightly. The satisfied grin on Baekhyun’s face was enough to harden Chanyeol’s cock even more, hastening his pace as he fucked Baekhyun harder.

“Yes, fuck—Chanyeol!” Baekhyun was about to touch his own leaking cock when Chanyeol’s other hand caught it.

“No. You’re not jerking yourself off.”

“I want to cum—”

“Oh, you’ll cum. But I want you cumming untouched.”

Baekhyun was _so so so_ close. “Please—”

“Baekhyun.” Chanyeol leaned in, planting a chaste kiss on his lips. “When I tell you you’re going to cum untouched, I mean it.”

Baekhyun didn’t think it was possible for Chanyeol to fuck him even harder than he did earlier – but he did. And _oh,_ was he feeling _so_ good. Chanyeol was a monster in bed – he knew how to work his ways, how to put you at your limit but not really letting you burst. He knew just how to make Baekhyun squirm, sensitive at every touch, like a land mine waiting for that specific touch to explode.

But Chanyeol never did.

“On your hands and knees,” he ordered.

In a daze, Baekhyun could only reply with a soft, “What?”

“Go on all fours, baby. I want to fuck you from behind.”

One thing that Baekhyun loved more than having sex was getting fucked from the back.

Baekhyun was quick to comply, falling on his hands and knees as Chanyeol pushed his cock back in him. It felt a whole lot different for him, toes curling in excitement as he clutched on his bed’s headboard.

The kisses he felt on his back were a stark contrast to the monstrous pace Chanyeol had set – the way his hips snapped every second, barely even making it out of his ass before pushing back in again. The kisses were soft, gentle – like feathers brushing on your skin. That was how it felt like, until –

“Fuck,” Baekhyun gasped, his head pulled back as Chanyeol grabbed a fistful of his blond locks.

“You like that, don’t you? You kinky asshole.” With his other hand, Chanyeol reached for Baekhyun’s cock, cupping them. “You’re much harder than you were earlier.”

Baekhyun whimpered as his unconsciously bucked his hips to fuck Chanyeol’s hand.

“Ah, not so fast.”

“Fuck you. Let me cum.”

“I told you, didn’t I?” Chanyeol now placed both his hands on Baekhyun’s asscheeks, spreading them open as he continued to fuck him. “I’m going to let you cum just by fucking you.”

True to his words, Chanyeol fucked Baekhyun to both their completion – hips unrelenting as he found his release, riding out his orgasm. Baekhyun came soon after, surprised as he actually came without ever having to touch himself.

Sighing, both of them plopped down on the soiled sheets, covering themselves with the blanket. Chanyeol scooted closer to Baekhyun, wrapping his arms around the smaller’s waist, spooning him.

“Good night, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun hummed as he teased Chanyeol by rubbing his ass on his limp dick. “Good night.”

Before closing his eyes, Chanyeol felt for his lungs. He hadn’t felt like he was coughing. _Maybe… it went away. Maybe, Baekhyun loves me now._

A smile lingered on his face before finally falling asleep.

  
  


**The City**

They were back.

It had been a successful week without the flower petals, but there they were again – on the floor as Chanyeol coughed them out right after he had his breakfast.

He should have known.

Baekhyun was _never_ going to love him back.

But why, though? Why _not_?

Chanyeol thought he was pretty okay. He had a decent job. He dressed nicely. He had a fair share of good looks thanks to both of his parents.

So, why?

Why wasn’t Baekhyun head over heels for him just like how Chanyeol was for him?

“Chanyeol, hey.” He was pulled out of his reverie when Sehun waved a hand in front of his face, a frown adorning his usually impassive features. “Are you okay?”

“What? Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You sure don’t look like it.”

Chanyeol dismissed him with a simple wave. “It’s nothing, Sehun.”

“I know you.” Sehun sat in front of him. “You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?”

“No,” Chanyeol lied.

“The petals—they’re still there, aren’t they?”

Chanyeol decided not to respond.

“If he really doesn’t love you back… Maybe it’s time for you to move on.”

Chanyeol lowered his head, playing with his phone. It had been also a week since Baekhyun last contacted him. Usually, the latter would always update him about his day, but now – it was as if they weren’t even friends.

He felt hurt, of course. After all they’d been through – was Baekhyun willing to throw it all away?

How could he… when they already _made love_?

Chanyeol was confused. But beyond that, he was greatly hurt. Sad. Broken.

“Stop slacking around, you two,” Junmyeon interrupted, coming out from the back and standing in front of the register. “Help Jongin out.”

“Alright,” Sehun answered. “Chanyeol, come on.”

Chanyeol sighed heavily as he dragged himself up from his seat. He kept his hand inside his pocket, playing with the small flash drive that contained the song he made. He was supposed to give it to Baekhyun, but he never found the right timing. It would be safe to say that he could go to his house unannounced, but he knew it was risky. Baekhyun never really let him come over until it was planned – and the very first time they met, the one when Chanyeol had lurked around his house, Baekhyun seemed mad. Chanyeol didn’t want that.

_I guess I’ll have to wait._

—

Baekhyun never contacted him again.

Chanyeol tried to when he was sure the former had nothing to do, but his calls were never picked up. He wanted to confront Baekhyun. He wanted to know what was going on between them. If he was feeling awkward after the sex they had, Chanyeol was willing to throw it away – to never speak up about it again.

He loved him, which was why he was willing to stay friends. He loved him too much to consider his own feelings.

“Chanyeol, you look fucking horrible.”

Chanyeol rolled his eyes, not suppressing the petals that came out of his mouth anymore, letting them drop on the table. It was a good thing the restaurant was already closed – that would have been embarrassing for their customers to see.

“Have you been sleeping?”

“Yes.”

“Then why do you look like shit?”

“Geez. Thanks, Sehun.” He coughed out more petals. “I have this disease, remember?”

“I told you to move on.” Sehun sighed, sitting across Chanyeol. “He hasn’t been talking to you for weeks now, right?”

“Don’t rub it in.”

“I’m only telling the truth. Stop it or you’ll die.”

“I will, I will. Just—I can’t at the moment, okay?” Chanyeol sighed, too. Exasperated. But he couldn’t bring himself to just forget Baekhyun like that.

“You haven’t told us what his name is, by the way.”

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol whispered.

“Oh.” Sehun shot him a pitiful glance. “Is he from Bayview?”

“Yeah.” Out of the blue, Chanyeol laughed. He remembered how he got himself in front of Baekhyun’s house. “It was because of you that we met, actually.”

“Me?” Sehun asked, perplexed.

“Remember the house at Sunset Drive? The one you described as haunted?”

“Yeah, and?”

“It isn’t,” Chanyeol said with a light chuckle. “Baekhyun lives there.”

“Oh, so it was a hoax, then,” Sehun mumbled. “I’m glad it isn’t some kind of haunted shit.”

“Me too, actually. I went there hoping to find some ghosts but what I actually met was an angel.”

“Ew, gross. Stop being so in love in front of me.”

Chanyeol laughed, but a few more petals lodged up his throat and he coughed them all out once again. Sehun was quick to run by his side. The only thing he could do right now was to comfort his friend. It made him feel helpless, but there wasn’t really much he could do.

_I’m sorry, Chanyeol. I’m here for you._

  
  
  
  


**Somewhere in The City** ****

**A Few Months Later**

He closed the book he was reading, placing it on the desk in front of him. Outside, way past the tall glass windows of his office, the city offered a rather solemn mood, the brilliant moon beaming down at the still busy streets. The stars in the dark, endless sea of the night sky were fairly visible, but they could not beat the light the moon gave.

An all too familiar tune played on his laptop, having repeated it all day.

_Roses._

Smiling, Baekhyun ejected the small flash drive, keeping it inside his desk’s drawer.

“What a lovely song,” he muttered to himself.

His eyes flitted over to the petals he had laid on the table. Baekhyun picked up his book once again, keeping putting the petals in each page like a bookmark.

“What a silly thing.”

Baekhyun got up from his leather chair, fixing his suit and tie. Today had been a long day and he was tired. Deals and meetings never seemed to end.

With the book in his hands and his phone in his pocket, he went out of his office, briefly greeting his secretary before making his way down to the parking lot. 

Baekhyun drove away from his building, about to head home when he remembered – he had something else to do.

He made a quick u-turn.

  
  
  


**Sunset Drive**

_They said that the house that sat at the very end of Sunset Drive – the very one that harbored fresh flowers all-year-round, situated in a cul-de-sac – was haunted. How could a little cute house filled with roses be haunted? That was absurd._

_In reality, the house was not too small, but it was not too big either. It was one that could fit three people at most. It had a home-y feel to it if you look as an outsider – cream-colored walls, and a roof painted red. The windows were always kept closed, yet the curtains were always drawn to let the light in._

Baekhyun parked his car in his garage and quickly got out of the car, walking as fast as he could to his favorite bed of roses.

There was a new addition to the family of red, one that bloomed brightly like the others.

Baekhyun crouched as he touched its petals, smiling because of a distant memory.

“I visited you, Park Chanyeol,” he said, still caressing the flower. “Thanks for the flower. You’ve grown so beautifully now. Thanks for the song as well. I loved it.” He turned to look at the flower next to it, eyebrows creased. “Oh, hush, Jiwon. I’ll visit you the next time, okay? I had to visit Chanyeol today.”

Baekhyun got up and left the patch of roses outside.

Once inside, Baekhyun made his way to the kitchen and put out the bowl of rose petals he had inside. He poured himself a glass of it, not forgetting the petals he had in his book – Chanyeol’s petals.

In an instant, he gulped down the water, feeling himself rejuvenate. Baekhyun patted the his cheeks, noticing them go softer by the second. He at least looked like he was three years younger.

_This is the life._ He laughed to himself, kissing the glass afterwards. 

He walked to the window in his living room, startled to see a silhouette hovering over his roses. Baekhyun blinked, then, it was gone. He smiled, shaking his head.

“Park Chanyeol, if you wanted to see the newest addition, you didn’t have to be creepy. I would have loved to let you see your rose in my garden.”

—

“Who are you?”

The man’s head shot up, like a deer caught in headlights. The blush on his cheek was hard to miss. Baekhyun smiled inwardly.

“I’m Yixing,” the man replied. He offered Baekhyun his hand. “I’m from Maple Street.”

“Maple?”

“You came a long way, then.” Warily, the man took his hand. Yixing brought his eyes down to look at the soft, lithe hand coming in contact with his. _Pretty._ “Baekhyun.”

“Oh, I was just—I got lost,” he spluttered. He definitely had the worst first impression on him now. “And I was walking around and I saw your roses…”

“You like them?”

“They’re very pretty.”

A proud hum resonated from Baekhyun’s closed lips. “I planted these myself.”

“You must have a green thumb.”

“That, I do.”

_That, I do, Yixing._


End file.
